


Will you let us in?

by orphan_account



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron’s uncle is an ass, Abuse, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Death, Dysphoria, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Human Disaster Aaron Burr, James is an ass, M/M, Minor Aaron Burr/Theodosia Prevost Burr, More tags to be added, Multi, Poly Relationships, Poor Aaron Burr, Sad, Trans Aaron Burr, aaron really needs love, this is gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-03 19:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14002653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Aaron Burr was not one to let people in. He did catch feelings, like most do, but never allowed that person to grow close to him. But after having his heart ripped out, and stomped on so many times, he was done with love. He swore that after his (ex) boyfriend James broke his heart he would never love another soul in his whole entire life. Oh how he was wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is my first book, and I thoroughly enjoy his ship, and hope you do too!

Aaron hated romance novels.

He stared at the books disdainfully, his eyes flicking over the red and black covers. The books always held the same tropes. Guy meets girl, girl falls in love, they fight, have sex, and then get married.

Aaron shook his head slightly. He particularly hated the 50 shades of gray books. He read the first one only because Theodosia has encouraged him to, and was left with a mental scar.

Theo laughed at the look on his face, saying: "Aw, Come on! I was hoping we could try some of that stuff..." And was promptly met with a pillow to the face.

He held his new copy of Thirteen Reasons Why close, hoping he could get out of the bookstore before someone came by and started chatting him up about it.

Aaron shook his head and turned to walk to the counter, placing his book down and getting his credit card out, talking very briefly to the cashier

Once he had paid for his book, he grabbed it and his credit card and made a beeline out of the store.

This was how Aaron lived.

Keep your head down and don't be noticed. Or by his motto. Talk less, smile more.

It was a stupid motto and he knew it, but it was what he lived by. It helped him survive long enough, so why couldn't it help him now?

Aaron sighed softly, shivering as the autumn wind nipped at his nose and the tips of his ears. He pulled his scarf higher up on his face and continued down the street.

It was nearing Christmas time, and Aaron once more didn't have anyone to spend it with. Theodosia had passed out of his life many years ago, Bellamy always went on a large trip with his family, and Aaron didn’t want to intrude, Thomas was in France, and James...

Aaron didn't know what to think of James anymore.

So his thoughts directed to his family. Parents? They were dead. Sister? He hadn't heard from her in years, after she'd ditched him with their uncle.

Their uncle. He shivered at the thought of spending Christmas with him. Alcoholic beverages and his most hated nephew in the same room? No thank you.

Aaron sighed, digging his keys out of his pocket when he reached his apartment building.

It was depressing, really. No one to spend Christmas with except his two cats.

Aaron walked up the stairs to the third floor, already anxious to read his book in the sweet silence of his living room.

As he walked out of the stairwell, he heard someone yell: "Watch out!" And turned just in time to have a large dictionary hit him squarely in the nose.

He let out an almost girlish yelp and fell to the floor, his book and keys falling somewhere around him. He quickly cupped his hand over his nose as he felt warm blood start to trickle down his face.

There was a collective gasp, and a tall man with curly hair pulled into a bun rushed to his side. "Merde, merde!" He exclaimed in a thick French accent. "I apologize for my boyfriends actions!"

Aaron shook his head, placing his hand on the wall and leaving a bloody handprint in his wake. "It's fine." He mumbled, his left hand still cupped over his nose.

The Frenchman shook his head. "Come. Let me help you." He motioned towards his front door.

Aaron looked up at him, his eyes slightly searching before he nodded and followed after him.

Frenchie quickly ushered him inside, glaring over at a couple other men standing sheepishly to the side. "As I said. Excuse all my boyfriends behavior."

All his boyfriends?

Aaron felt confusion cloud his brain, but shook it off as the man was watching him expectantly.

So Aaron just nodded, and waited patiently as the man pushed some boxes out of the way and made a path to his bathroom.

"Here." The man said, Helping Aaron into the bathroom while wiping some blood from his cheek.

"Wait here. I need to go get some tissues."

The man hen turned and rushed out of the bathroom, leaving Aaron alone in the small, marble bathroom. He glanced around, still holding his hands up to catch any of the blood that flowed out of his nose.

The man returned moments later, nearly giving Aaron a heart attack. "Here! Hold these against your nose." He thrust some tissues into the smaller man's hands, and made him sit down on the toilet.

Aaron bit his lip. This man was persistent, and pretty attractive. And who was he to turn down help from an attractive stranger?

A few moments later, the Frenchman has pressed two fingers on either side of Aaron's nose, and tilted his head forward ever so slightly.

Aaron gulped and held the tissues tighter, taking note that these man's hands were very calloused, but very soft.

Then he squeezed the two fingers on either side of Aaron's nose, with a feathery touch that only Theodosia and his mother had ever handled him with.

"What is your name?" Aaron piped up, cringing at how nasal he sounded.

The man chuckled. "The short version or my whole name?"

Aaron felt curious. "Your whole name." He said, his eyes flickering up to him.

"Marie‑Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette." The man said without missing a beat, a playful glint in his eyes.

Aaron's mouth fell open, but he promptly shut it. "Do I have to call you by that all the time...?"

The man let out a roaring laugh. "You are funny!" He exclaimed, still chuckling slightly. "But Non. Call me Gilbert, or Lafayette. Whichever you feel."

Aaron nodded the best he could. "Alright."

"What is your name, stranger?" Lafayette inquired moments later, kneeling down to his level. Aaron let every grateful for this, as his neck had started to ache from looking up at him.

"Aaron Burr." He said. "Not as cool as yours, but it's my name."

Lafayette smiled gently. "It seems fitting for you. And your parents actually decided. Unlike mine, who could not choose and decided to name me all the names they thought were great."

Aaron laughed at that, warmth bubbling up in his stomach and chest. When was the last time he had truly laughed? He couldn't remember, but it felt good to again.

Lafayette looked pleased. "I'm glad you enjoy my humor. None of my boys seem to."

Aaron smiled, but it faltered slightly when he said his boys.

"Are... Are you all in a relationship together?" Aaron asked tentatively, biting his lip slightly.

Lafayette's face became guarded. "Oui." He said, sounding protective. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Aaron shook his head. "No! No, definitely not. I'm just curious, I'm completely fine with that." His cheeks flared with embarrassment, and he tore a hole into the tissue he was holding.

Gilbert visibly relaxed. "Ah, Okay." He guided Aaron's face up again. "It's alright to be curious, do not beat yourself up over it."

Aaron opened his mouth to ask how he knew that he would, but the Frenchman just shook his head. "You have a look on your face. I've seen it many times before on my boys."

The lawyer shut his mouth promptly and nodded, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over him when Lafayette let go of his nose.

"I believe you have stopped bleeding." He said, taking the tissues away. "You're free to leave me office." Another playful gleam crept its way back into his eye.

Aaron laughed gently, wiping any excess blood away and tossing the tissues into the trash. "Thank you Dr. Lafayette."

"No need to thank me, mon Petite."

Aaron's face morphed into an expression of confusion, and was about to ask what those words meant before he was interrupted.

"You just met him and you're already coming up with nicknames?"

Aaron looked over to see a man with shoulder length brown hair and a goatee leaning in the doorway to his bathroom.

His eyebrow was quirked and he had a smirk on his face, to which Lafayette met with a scowl. "Alexander! Apologize to Aaron! You threw a dictionary at his face!"

The man, or Alexander, winced and looked over at Aaron. "Sorry about that." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was aiming at John, I really didn't mean to hit you."

"It's alright. Not the greatest first impression, but it's fine."

‘ _Wow you sound like such a great neighbor, Aaron. Totally not like a judgemental asshole.’_

Alex rubbed his eyes. "Yea, hope you don't hate us because of it."

Aaron shrugged. "I don't." He said, offering him a reassuring smile. "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Alexander didn't look all to convinced, but shook it off. "Alright... I'm guessing Gil went all nurse mode on you."

Lafayette rolled his eyes, scoffing. "It is my job, Alexander. How can I not? He was bleeding so much!"

Aaron smiled softly. "Well thank you for helping me, Lafayette."

The Frenchman smiled brightly. "It was no problem, mon Petit. I hope we will be able to see you around more."

Aaron bit the inside of his lip. "I'm sure you will. I don't go places often."

‘ _Fuck, you sound lonely.’_ Aaron thought, mentally cursing himself. Lafayette and Alexander didn't think anything of it, and just smiled.

"Come on. I'll show you out through our sea of boxes."

Alex placed a hand on his back and began leading him out, weaving through the boxes in a way that made Aaron think that it had not been the first time he had done this.

But before they could get it if the door, two more men showed up. One was tall and broad, and wearing a beanie that covered most of his hair. He had large, muscular arms that Aaron could have ogled at for hours. The other was a bit shorter, with a curly cloud of Auburn hair and freckles that decorated his skin like stars.

For some reason, Aaron felt minuscule to both of them. Maybe it was because they were both attractive, or maybe it was because he was 5'4. Who knows?

The only thing Aaron knew was that he mouth went dry and he froze slightly.

Freckles grinned. "Hey! I'm guessing Laf fixed you up?" Aaron swallowed thickly and nodded in an almost robotic fashion.

"Great! I'm John Laurens by the way." He held out his hand, and Aaron stared at it. He blinked, before his face heated up and he immediately took his hand and shook it.

"And this is Hercules Mulligan." Alex said, motioning towards the man with muscular arms. "Don't let him intimidate you. He's a teddy bear."

As Alex said that, Hercules smiled one of the happiest (and cutest) smiles Aaron had ever seen. He seized the lawyers hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you!"

Aaron gasped slightly, looking at their hands and seeing a drastic difference. His hands were huge. His hand looked like the paw of a lion while Aaron's was the paw of a mouse.

"N-Nice to meet you too." Aaron stammered out, feeling like he was being inspected under a microscope.

Then Alex shoved his book into his hands and led him to their door. "It's nice to meet you Aaron. Hope you don't hold a grudge against me...?"

Aaron laughed again, very softly this time. "I wouldn't dream of it." He said with a smile, earning a clap on the back.

"Great! See you around then?"

Aaron nodded, looking into the other man's dark brown eyes. "Definitely


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy teases Aaron who finds out that Alex is working with him

“So are they hot?” Bellamy questioned, smirking when Aaron nearly choked on his coffee.

“What the hell?!” He coughed, his eyes watering. “They’re all dating each other!”

“Just because you can’t touch doesn’t mean you can’t look!” The other man sang, punching him playfully in the arm. “Come on! They have to be at least mildly attractive.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” The small man asked, looking up at him with narrowed eyes.

“Nothing, I’m just asking a simple question. Were they hot or ugly?”

“Fine, They’re really hot. Happy?” Aaron hissed at him, his eyes narrowing  

Bellamy shook his head. “Not yet, little man. Elaborate. Tell me what they look like.”

“First of all, don’t call me little man. Second of all, why are you suddenly so interested in the people who live next door to me?”

“Aaron, come on!” He exclaimed. “They took you in and fixed your bloody nose! Who really does that anymore?”

“Lots of people probably.” He huffed. “Especially at hospitals.”

“True. But they were nice, right? And hot?”

“They were very nice.” Aaron grumbled, leaning back in his chair with crossed arms. “Every one of them. Especially Lafayette.”

“He’s the French one, right?” Bellamy asked, swirling his coffee in its cup.

Aaron nodded in response, rubbing his eyes and sighing. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“Nah. I finished it all earlier.” He said with a grin, running a hand through his blond hair.

Aaron swatted at his hand. “Stop doing that. You look like a teenage fuckboy.”

Bellamy snorted, dropping his hand to his lap. “Astute observation, because I was one.”

“What else did I expect?” Aaron muttered under his breath, leaning forward and squinting at his computer.

He nearly leapt out of his skin when he heard a phone rang, drawing a snicker from Bellamy. Aaron glared at him, watching as the other man grabbed his phone from the desk.

“Hello?”

Aaron turned back to his computer, typing up a few things with a sigh.

“Yessir, He’s next to me. And he’s doing fine.”

The smaller lawyer looked over at him with a look of confusion, to which Bellamy mouthed, ‘Washington.’ Burr immediately understood then.

“Yea, I’ll be there in a few!”

Bellamy stood, grabbing his jacket and sliding it on. “Where are you going?” Aaron questioned, his eyes flickering over to the blond.

“Washington’s office. He wanted me to show a newbie around.” Bellamy said with a grin, tossing his coffee cup at the trash and missing.  

The mocha skinned man laughed, watching as the blond stooped down and picked up his foam coffee cup. “Have fun with that.”

Bellamy dropped the cup in the trash, and saluted to him. “Will do!”

Aaron leaned over in his chair to watch him leave the office. “And Tell Washington to stop worrying about me!”

“You know that’s never gonna happen!” 

Aaron shook his head with a small smile, grabbing his pen and starting to jot some things down.

 

Later on that day, as Aaron was going out for his lunch break, he was stopped by Washington himself.

“Aaron!”

The lawyer turned and saw his boss, George Washington, walking towards him. “You headed out for lunch?”

Aaron nodded, fixing his scarf around his neck. “I am, as a matter of fact.”

“Alright. Bellamy is looking for you by the way.” Then he paused, his eyes seemingly inspecting Aaron. “Are you taking care of yourself?”

Oh. This is what it was about.

Last year around Christmas Aaron had gotten rather... depressed. He basically threw himself into work to distract himself from the fact that he was going to be along yet again.

He had been working overtime, when he suddenly passed out. Probably from lack of sleep and food. Washington had thankfully been there at the time and took him to his office, allowing him to sleep on his couch.

And while doing so he accidentally figured out that Aaron was transgender.

So after the smaller man woke up, he spoke to him about him.

After the talk (which included crying and a lot of hugging), Washington sent Aaron home for the rest of the holidays because he wanted him to take some time off to care for himself again.

After that the larger man had been a bit protective over Aaron.

Aaron sighed gently, but couldn’t stop a small smile from coming to his lips. “Yes, I have been taking care of myself.”

Washington gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “I just don’t want a repeat of last year.”

The smaller man immediately felt guilt squirm in his gut. “I know, I know, but I promise I have been taking care of myself.”

Washington smiled, his eyes crinkling up slightly. “Good! Now you go enjoy your lunch.”

The moment the broad shouldered man had disappeared around the corner, Bellamy came jogging towards Aaron with another man trailing behind him.

“Aaron, There you are! I wanna introduce you to Alexander Hamilton!”

The other man stepped forwards and seized Aaron’s hand, grinning broadly.

Aaron looked at him, taking in his face when he suddenly recognized him. “Alexander?” He asked, the handshake stopping abruptly.

“Yes?” The man, or Alexander said, his head cocked to his side like a confused dog.

“You Just moved in next to me.” Burr said. _‘And threw a dictionary at my face.’_

Alex’s eyes lit up suddenly. “Oh! You’re the Aaron who I threw a dictionary at!”

The shorter man caught sight of Bellamy trying not to burst out laughing.

“Yup... that’s me.”

Alexander grinned broadly. “I didn’t know you were a lawyer too! What a coincidence!” 

Aaron was never going to hear the end of this from Bellamy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support on the last chapter! I’ve been thinking about this book all week during school and have come up with some pretty good ideas that I hope you all will enjoy. Hope you all like it! (Also if I’m writing anything wrong please tell me this is the first time I’m writing about a trans character)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron goes and gets hot chocolate with Bellamy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, I tried to get it out yesterday but I was at six flags and had stayed up till 3 am that night prior. Hope you like it!

“Well isn’t this quaint?” Alexander said with a large smile. “We not only live next to each other but we also work at the same law firm!”

Aaron nodded, giving him a weak smile. The first thing Aaron had noticed when they had gone to lunch was that Alexander did not stop talking. Period.

All throughout lunch it was a constant conversation. And who was the backbone of it? Alexander.

It was a blessing and a curse that man had. He could run his mouth like nobody’s business, and might get his mouth socked in if he said the wrong thing.

Then there were the times like these when the conversation was awkward, and all he had to do was find a topic and he could take the weight off other people.

Alexander snapped his fingers in front of Aaron’s face, tilting his head to the side. “Mr. Burr, sir? Are you alright?” He asked with a kind smile.

Aaron snapped out of his daze, and nodded. “Yes, yeah, I’m alright.”

Alexander smiled. “Alright... Could I ask you a question?”

Burr blinked a few times, before nodding. “Yea?”

“Would you mind if I rode or walked to work with you tomorrow?”

The smaller lawyer basically short circuited, staring at him blankly. “What...?”

“Or is that too much since we just met? I want to get to know you better and I guess this is a way I thought I could...?”

Aaron once more snapped back to reality. “Yea! Yea, of course! I usually head to work at seven, so..”

“That’s a good time for me.” Alexander said, smiling brightly. “See you then, Aaron!” He then turned and pranced into his apartment, leaving a dumbfounded Aaron behind.

For some reason, the smaller man felt unreasonably happy. He smiled and went into his house, being greeted immediately by his two cats, who seemed to share his happiness.

He dropped his bag in his office chair, smiling and stretching.

Today was perfect, and nothing seemed to be able to ruin that.

He basically skipped to his bedroom, grabbing Thirteen Reasons Why and plopping down.

Just as he opened up to the page he had been on, his phone dinged, signaling someone had texted him.

The let out a sigh of annoyance, reaching over and grabbing the slender piece of metal.

He flipped it over and the phone lit up, showing a single banner that read:

JB: [hey u wanna meet for hot cocoa??]

Aaron rolled his eyes, pressing down on the banner and starting to type out a well formed response.

Aaron: [Your lack of the ability to spell and capitalize words annoys me. But sure, where would you like to meet?]

Aaron: [And hot chocolate? I thought you were more of a coffee guy.]

JB: [ugh. you type like my 60 year old father]

JB: [and shut up. Hot cocoa is better than that black coffee you consume daily]

Aaron snorted, quickly shooting a text back.

Aaron: [You drink it too. Where are we meeting?]

JB: [I think you know damn well where we’re gonna meet]

Aaron chortled, seeming to have and almost blithe attitude.

A: [Alright. See you in a bit.]

JB: [c ya bitch]

Bellamy was such a child.

Course he had always been like that.

Jonathan Bellamy had been the first person Aaron had met at Washington’s law firm. The short man had been fresh out of college and shy as hell.

Washington had of course assigned someone to show Aaron around, and they turned out to be an inconsiderate asshole who kept nagging him about “looking too feminine.”

Aaron took great offense to it, and it took just about all his willpower from knocking the man’s teeth in. But he still kept the shy act up and didn’t say anything.

That’s when Bellamy stepped in. Aaron had the joy of watching this blond stranger chew out a man who was being incredibly rude to him.

Once he was done, Jonathan introduced himself and took the courtesy of showing Aaron around himself.

Since then they had basically been connected at the hip.

Aaron snatched his bag off his desk chair, sliding his phone into his pocket as he started back out of his apartment.

He was all over the place today, which was good, but slightly surprising. And tiring. It was very tiring.

Aaron made sure his door was locked before he started downstairs and out of his apartment complex.

The weather had become worse since Aaron had arrived home. The sky was cloudy and a cool gray color, and the wind was whipping against his cheeks harshly.

Aaron sighed, pulling the jacket he had managed to nab up around his face as he made his way down the street.

He finally made it to the small, remote coffee shop Bellamy and he had been going to for a few years, ducking inside and relishing at the warmth that engulfed him.

“Hey! Little guy!” Aaron looked up to see Jonathan sitting on the counter talking to Peggy, the person who owned the coffee shop.

“Don’t call me that.” Aaron grumbled, walking forwards.

Jonathan snickered. “It suits you.”

“Just because I’m 5’4 doesn’t mean I won’t beat your ass.”

Peggy laughed. “Ooo, don’t get on the bad side of Aaron. His fights are pretty nasty.”

Bellamy shook his head. “You’re telling me. I’ve had to rip him off of people because they were getting beat up so badly.”

Aaron rolled his eyes, a small smile coming to his lips. “Hey, I came here for hot chocolate, not to be reminded of all the times I got into fights.”

“Don’t get your nipples in a twist, I’m making some for all of us.” Peggy said, sliding off of the counter when they saw the hot chocolate was ready.

Aaron hopped up onto the counter as well, kicking one of his legs gently. “How have you been pegs? Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Good!” They answered, balancing three cups in their hands while swiftly walking back to them. “Business has been doing a lot better than last year. According to some people, my coffee is better than Starbucks.”

“Well, I don’t know about that...” Jonathan shrieked as Peggy playfully hit him in the shoulder. “I’m kidding! Your coffee holds a special place in our hearts.” He put his hand over his chest dramatically.

“Alright Mr. Drama queen.” Aaron chortled, raising the cup to his lips and sipping it. “Hey! I am nothing of the-“

The bell above the door jingled, signaling someone had come in.

Peggy pushed Aaron to the side slightly, standing on their tip-toes to see who had come in.

“Welcome to- Oh! Hey guys!”

“Mon lapin!”

Aaron looked up, finding the French voice familiar. As he did, he ended up spotting none other than two of his next door neighbors walking towards the counter.

“John! Laf! Why don’t you two come see me more often?”

“Sorry, Sorry.” John said, placing his hands on the counter and leaning onto it.

Aaron looked down, fiddling with his cup when he felt a slight push on his back.

“Move you great big lumps. Bellamy, don’t give me that face. Go sit in the loveseat.”

Johnathan gave a small cheer, racing towards the small, black loveseat in the corner.

Aaron slid off the counter as well, heading towards Bellamy when he heard a small gasp. “Mon petite!”

The lawyer felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Lafayette. “Your nose is doing better I see. Does it still hurt?”

Aaron’s cheeks flushed when Lafayette cupped his face and began to gently press two fingers to his nose.

“N-No, not anymore!” He squeaked out, his heart beating at an incredibly fast pace.

“Laf, come on, you’re making the boy nervous.” Lafayette turned, a small frown on his lips.

“Jacky, it is my job. I am just checking to make sure it was only bloody and not broken.”

“Wait- you know him?” Peggy questioned, a seemingly confused expression on her face.

John nodded. “We moved in next door to him, and Alexander hit him in the nose with a dictionary.”

Peggy snorted, and Aaron briefly caught sight of Bellamy smirking at him.

“Oui. So I was checking if it was still damaged.” Lafayette let go of his face and put his hands on his hips. “I do not understand why you were getting upset at me for doing that!”

Peggy opened their mouth to say something, but was waved off by John. “Don’t even try.”

Aaron swallowed, muttering a small, Probably inaudible, ‘thank you’ before he sped over to the small couch next to Bellamy and sat down.

Jonathan smirked at him. “You look like a fire truck.”

“Shut up.” Aaron grumbled, trying to cover his face with his cup.

The blond shrugged, lounging back with an easy smile. “Just stating the facts, Buddy.”

Aaron was about to snap at him, when John walked next to him. “Hey.”

Aaron looked up at him, offering a nervous smile. “Yes?”

“Do you mind if I get your number? Since we live next door and all that stuff.” He tilted his head to the side slightly, smiling.

Aaron went brain dead for a few seconds before responding. “Yea! I can punch it in for you.”

John quickly fished his phone out. “Here ya go!” He said, unlocking it and handing it to him.

Aaron took the phone, which felt slightly lukewarm beneath his fingers. He quickly typed in his number, and then handed the phone back to John. “T-There.”

The freckled man grinned. “Thanks! See you around, Aaron!”

With that he turned and raced over to where Lafayette was waiting at the door. Aaron gulped, cupping his hot chocolate close to his chest.

“You know, you’re really bad at hiding the fact that you find people attractive.” Bellamy said, eliciting a laugh from Peggy.

“No I’m not!” Aaron snapped defensively, huffing slightly.

“Hey man, at least you didn’t say something stupid.”

“Or do!” Peggy called out, grabbing their cup and heading over.

“Or do.” Bellamy added, pointing at them. “But you did kind of freeze and make a fool of yourself-“

Bellamy had a small beanbag chair flung at him from where Aaron was sitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fact: I drank hot chocolate while writing this


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief explanation on why Aaron hates James Madison

Aaron had a hatred for many things. He hated sweet potatoes, especially sweet potato fries. He hated small spaces, which made him highly claustrophobic. He hated getting blood drawn at the doctor's office.

But most of all, he hated transphobic people. Specifically, his uncle. His uncle and James Madison.

By the time Aaron was ten, he could tell he was different.

Different from all the other kids his age. He didn’t know how to explain it. He just felt... incompatible. He felt as if he wasn’t him.

Sometimes he would stare at himself in the mirror, poking and prodding at himself and getting frustrated at all the things he hated.

Of course, he couldn’t do anything about it because of his uncle.

His uncle was, in a simpler tone, horrible. He didn’t tolerate bad behavior, bad grades, or anything he deemed to be bad behavior. So he made sure to beat it into Aaron and his sister.

Now that he looked back on it now, Aaron could see that was probably the reason she left in the first place.

That didn’t make up for it though.

From a very young age, Aaron’s uncle had grilled the Catholic religion into him and his sister. He also learned that his uncle hated everything that went against his religion. Especially homosexuality.

One day, Aaron had come home and told his uncle about the day he had at school. While doing so, the topic of a friend who had two fathers slipped out.

Aaron was immediately backhanded across the face.

“You’ve been dabbling in homosexuality?!” His uncle had snarled at him. “Do you want to be with another woman?! To go against God?!”

Aaron had started to cry, cupping his cheek tenderly. He didn’t understand it. What was so wrong about that?

His uncle had grabbed him by his once long hair and practically dragged him to the closet, shoving him inside and yelling passages of the Bible at him.

Aaron had learned afterward to never mention anything close or related to homosexuality.

That didn’t stop him from researching all he could on it.

It was only in his last year of college that he realized he was indeed transgender.

The unfortunate thing was that he couldn’t do anything about it until he graduated, as his uncle always made sure to keep close tabs on him.

When he finally start his transition, he was happier then he ever could have been.

Of course, it was almost four years later that Aaron even started dating James Madison.

Aaron already knew of the man. They had talked briefly about cases while waiting for coffee in the break room, seen each other out of work and given small waves, all the slightly awkward things.

But the time they were stuck inside an elevator together seemed to spark something between the two.

Of course, it wasn’t the most romantic way to get to know each other at first. As Aaron had claustrophobia and was on the verge of a panic attack only minutes after the elevator came to a screeching halt.

Do you know who sat him down and talked him through that panic attack?

James Madison.

It seemed to be a match made in heaven, as they practically got along in every sense. The only fights they ever got into were over books or cooking recipes.

Though that all seemed to change the day Aaron came out to James as transgender.

Aaron had sat him down on the couch and began his lengthy explanation.

The man had merely stared at Aaron while he explained, drawing out anxiety deep inside the latter.

After he finished his explanation, James stood and hugged him, promising that he loved him no matter what.

That made Aaron feel better, seeing as the only person who had accepted him before was Theodosia.

Sadly, was one of the biggest, and only, lies that James had ever let Aaron hear.

Months passed after Aaron had come out, and he could tell James was drifting away. He could hear the whispers that his boyfriend uttered over the phone. The whispers that had said he lied.

Them everything seemed to come crashing down. James broke up with Aaron, leaving him heartbroken.

The other man hadn’t even given a valid excuse. Just some shit about them drifting apart and how he still wanted them to be friends.

Aaron could smell the bullshit from a mile away but didn’t say anything. Instead, he packed up all his stuff and left.

A week later, James had already moved on. To a man named Thomas Jefferson.

Aaron had suspicions, but once more said nothing.

The man began to grow cold and bitter, shutting out the rest of the world.

It was the only thing he felt he felt he knew how to do anymore.

He watched as James waltzed off to France with his precious new boyfriend, who he had indeed been cheating on Aaron with.

And Aaron hated him. He hated James, and he hated Thomas. He hated he wasn’t born a man. He hated his body. He hated the fact that he was still misgendered. He hated every bit and piece about himself until he was numb and couldn’t feel anything.

He hated himself, all because of what James Madison had done to him.

Now, as he stared at his phone, he sorely wished that James Madison had disappeared from the face of the earth forever.

_One new notification_

James Madison: [Hey Ronnie, I think we should catch up!] 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh sorry for the delay. (Also sorry it’s really short) Ive Been sick for the past few days and that sucks but another update will be out soon


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron goes and gets a couple beers with the guys while hating James

Aaron felt confused. Confused, and in some sense, disgusted.

James Madison. His ex. The man, who had caused so much of his self-loathing, was contacting him.

Aaron had no drive to text him back. So he pocketed his phone, ignoring the notification that still nagged at him from the back of his mind.

After all these years, why the hell was James texting him now? Did he want something? No. Even though he was an asshole, he rarely went to people he had broken ties with for favors.

Aaron rubbed his eyes roughly, standing up and starting to pace back and forth across his living room.

The single text wouldn’t leave his damn mind. It didn’t help that his mind was jumping from one scenario to the next, trying to grasp onto a plausible explanation.

Nothing seemed to fit together though.

It was like a puzzle, and he was trying to find one missing piece. But every piece he tried to fit into place wouldn’t fit, and only left him more confused as to where that missing piece was.

Money? No, James was swimming in that. Sex? Nope, definitely not. (Aaron cringed at the thought, even) Was he drunk? Possibly. Breakup? Maybe.

Aaron let out a frustrated shout. Why the hell was he getting so caught up with this?! It was James, dammit! He shouldn’t care! He should just ignore him, he could go end up in a ditch for all he cared.

The lawyer slumped back down onto his couch, staring up at the ceiling. Then he reached over and nabbed the remote from the coffee table, click the on button.

That made the Tv burst to life, showing it was already playing Supernatural.

Aaron had just settled into the corner of his couch when he heard a loud, rapid knocking on his door.

A heavy sigh left his lips as he pulled himself up from his incredibly comfy spot. He dragged his feet walking over to the door, but decided to hurry up and answer it as the knocking had yet to cease.

“Mr. Burr, sir!” Aaron was met with the energetic face of Alexander. As well as John Laurens, who was standing next to him with a hand enfolded in Hamilton’s.

Aaron gave a small wave. “Hello, gentlemen.” He said politely, acting as if he had not been aggravated by the consistent knocking. “How May I help you two?”

“Well firstly, I heard you yell and decided to come check on you.” Alexander started. “Then John decided to tag along because we wanted to ask if you wanted to come to get some drinks with us.”

“Gil and Hercules are coming to.” John hummed afterward, smiling at Aaron which made his tense posture (and heart) melt slightly. “Herc is usually the designated driver.”

Aaron swallowed slightly. A bar? When was the last time he had gone out a bar? “Umm..”

“Come on Burr! I work with you and live next to you. What’s the harm in getting to know each other?”

Aaron hesitated. “Alright...” He finally answered softly, making the other lawyer beam.

“Great! John can text you the information, and you can get as wasted as you want! We won’t judge.”

Aaron laughed, gently gripping his door to keep his balance. “I doubt I’ll get more than buzzed, but thank you for the offer.”

John shook his head at Alexander. “Alright. Just meet outside our door at sevenish? Our favorite bar opens at seven-thirty.”

“Gotcha.” The small man said with a nod. “Thank you.”

The quickly exchanged goodbyes and Aaron shut the door, his stomach fluttering.

Wow. Since when did he go out to get drinks with people he had met only a week ago?

Since now, he supposed. It felt odd. No one besides Bellamy really asked him to do stuff anymore, and he was slightly unnerved by the sudden invitation.

But he had already accepted, which meant there was no backing out of this now.

-

Aaron checked himself in the mirror one last time, smiling at his reflection.

He had to admit that he looked quite dapper.

He had dressed in some black skinny jeans and a burgundy button-down shirt. The material felt like silk and had been pretty pricey.

Aaron rarely wore it, but now seemed like a pretty good time.

He checked his watch, smiling and grabbing his phone as he headed to his front door.

He paused before opening it though. What if this was a joke? What if they had tricked him? What if Aaron went out and they poured some liquid all over him, like syrup?

He drew his hand back and stared at the door, his arm dropping to his side as the smile slid from his face.

Then Aaron shook himself, forcing all his anxieties down. Why would they do that to him? They seemed like kind people.

Aaron cringed as he thought of the dictionary incident.

Kind of.

He heard muffled voices from the other side of the door and let out a small sigh of relief.

As his door swung open, he saw the whole clique standing there, chattering loudly.

It was Hercules who noticed, mumbling something to the group and making them all look over.

Aaron stood there, gripping his door awkwardly under all of their stares.

“You look wonderful, mon petit!” Lafayette was the first to speak, smiling broadly.

“Laf, if you keep doing that you’re gonna give the man a heart attack.”

The Frenchman frowned heavily, crossing his arms with a huff. “I was only telling him he looked nice! Where is the crime in that?!”

“There’s no crime at all, Lafayette,” Aaron assured him, stepping out into the hall and allowing his door to swing shut with a snapping sound that made him jump.

This didn’t exactly go unnoticed, but no one said anything.

“So Aaron, have you ever heard of the ‘Oui?’”

-

They had only been at the bar for a few minutes and Alexander had already taken five shots.

Aaron was surprised because the man sure didn’t look drunk. The only thing off about him was the fact that he would break off into giggles at the simplest of things.

“So Aaron, what’s your story?”

The lawyer blinked, looking over at Hercules. “Hm?”

He had been deep in thought, simply swirling his drink while thinking of you-know-who.

“Oui, Tell us about yourself little one.”

Aaron ignored the nickname, biting his lip gently.

“Well, I grew up here in New York..” he started slowly. “My parents died when I was pretty young, so I ended up being handed off to my grandparents, and then my uncle.”

He winced at the way he had worded that. Handed off? That sounded like he was just something people could use and then give away again.

“ _WAIT_.”

Aaron flinched and shrunk slightly when Alexander slammed his hands on the bar. “You’re an orphan?!”

Aaron cleared his throat. “Well Yes, I suppose I am-“

“I’m an orphan!”

Aaron stared at the overly enthusiastic man in front of him, his mouth falling open slightly so that he looked similar to a fish. “Oh.”

Alexander grinned, his dark eyes light up as he started to babble on.

Aaron tried to keep up with what he was saying, but it was a bit hard considering the man never seemed to take a damn breath.

“-and that’s how I then got into Princeton, which was an amazing school! They wouldn’t let me graduate early though, which was disappointing but-“

“Aaron?”

The lawyer seized up. He knew that voice.

He slowly turned in the barstool he was sitting in and was met with the face he wished to never see again.

“Hello, James.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops ;)  
> Also the Oui was a bar in my town that got closed down before i was born


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh drunken idiots and James Madison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! There is transphobia and deadnaming in this chapter, so just be warned

Aaron stared at James Madison, a lump forming in his throat. Why was here? Wasn't he supposed to be in France with his new boyfriend? His tongue felt heavy, and his throat seemingly closed up at that moment.

"You know each other?" Alexander questioned, looking rather annoyed at being interrupted. He quirked an eyebrow in Aaron's direction, his eyes calculating and questioning.

Aaron avoided his gaze, his eyes glued to James'.

"Yes." He finally said, swallowing thickly. "Yea. We went to college together."

James smiled, but it looked more like an evil grin to Aaron. The lawyer knew he was planning something. Something bad.

"Aw, Ronnie. Don't be so modest! We were dating back then too."

Aaron suddenly wanted to curl up in a ball and scream. All eyes shot towards him, and he squirmed uncomfortably, his hands clenching and unclenching his pants.

"Really?" It was John who spoke up. "Your name is James...?"

"James Madison." He said proudly, offering his hand. "Aaron and I go way back."

"He was my roommate." Aaron forced out suddenly, his eyes flickering up to meet Hercules' for a brief moment, before dropping back down to the floor.

"Yup!" James said in an overly chipper tone. "Now I'd love to say and chat, but I have to get back to my boyfriend." He motioned to a sharply dressed man sitting alone at a table. He had a cloud of black hair and sepia skin, as well as a jawline for _days_.

Thomas Jefferson.

Aaron clenched his fist, hate brewing in his chest. But instead of saying anything, he forced a smile onto his face. "Alright, it was good to see you, James."

James clapped his shoulder, his hand lingering a few moments too long and Aaron knew what he was feeling for.

He closed his eyes, breathing out through his nose sharply once James had walked away.

"He seems nice," Lafayette said simply, Hercules nodding along with him.

Oh if only you knew.

-

Despite the minor inconvenience of the night, Aaron had a good time. Scratch that, he had an amazing time.

Everything had gone great, and everything was still great.

Aaron had a hope that it would stay that way as he helped Hercules heave Lafayette inside. Thankfully, John and Alex were able to get inside despite the fact that they were completely wasted.

Hercules let Lafayette fall onto the couch with a small laugh. "Thank you, I'm sorry you had to deal with.. this." He motioned to Laf who was babbling drunkenly in French.

Aaron chortled softly. "It's Fine, I had fun." He smiled up at him.

Hercules hummed in agreement. "I'm glad we didn't scare you off."

Aaron opened his mouth to respond, but was suddenly pulled down into Lafayette's lap.

"Tu es très mignon, petite Burr."

Aaron's cheeks heated. "Uh.."

"Oui!" Alexander plopped onto the couch next to him, basically throwing himself across his lap.

"I don't know what y'all said, but I agree wholeheartedly." John slurred, snuggling up against Laf.

"I am.. so sorry Aaron." Hercules said, covering his mouth and trying not to burst out laughing.

Aaron gave a weak smile. "It's fine." He said, sucking in his breath when he felt Lafayette nuzzle his neck.

"I can get them off you-"

Aaron waved him away. "It's fine, really." He said gently, forcing himself to relax and lean back into Lafayette.

Hercules knitted his eyebrows together. "Are you sure?"

The lawyer nodded, rubbing his eyes with a small chuckle. "I guess I'm sleeping over here tonight."

Hercules smiled apologetically. "If you ever want to leave, just tell me and I'll get them off you."

"Alright, Thank you Hercules." Aaron said gently, looking down in slight alarm as Alexander rested his head on his lap.

"Your legs are comfy." He yawned, his eyes starting to fall shut.

John moved away from the trio and held his arms out of Hercules. "Hercy." He said in a whiny tone. "I'm tired."

Hercules leaned down and picked him up, basically holding him over his shoulder. "Then let's go to bed. You're gonna have one hell of a hangover tomorrow."

He glanced back at Aaron one last time. "Are you-"

"I promise it's fine." Aaron said, his own exhaustion suddenly catching up to him. "G'night Hercules."

"Night, Burr." He flicked the lights off and then turned and carried John, who had been babbling nonsense the whole time, to what Aaron assumed was their room.

The small man blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the now dimly lit room before he looked back at Laf, who had fallen asleep with his arms still securely locked around Aaron.

Alexander had his head resting on his lap, his hair splayed around him like a brown halo everywhere as he slept.

Aaron let himself cave in slightly as he gently combed his fingers through the man's smooth and (surprisingly) silky hair.

As he did that, he leaned his head back against Lafayette's chest, just about ready to fall asleep when...

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

The lawyer made himself stay awake as he slowly fished his phone out of his pocket, and turned it on to see who had texted him.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw who it was from.

James Madison: [Hello Aaron]

Aaron gripped his phone tightly, going to block the man when he suddenly received another text.

James Madison: [Whoops, Sorry. I meant Andrea]

Aaron sucked in some of his breath quickly. How the hell did he find out? He never wanted anyone to know about that name. He had always kept the details of his past life vague, so how had James figured it out?

Swallowing, Aaron slowly typed out a response.

Aaron Burr: [Leave me alone]

James Madison: [No can do, A.]

James Madison: [See, I can't help but feel bad for those four men you were hanging out with tonight]

James Madison: [Do they know you're lying to them?]

Aaron's hands started to shake slightly, but he didn't do anything. He didn't make a move to block him, he just watched as another text popped up.

James Madison: [How do you think they're gonna react when they found out that you have been?]

Aaron Burr: [Better than you did]

Aaron knew he was feeding the fire, but he didn't know what else to do at that moment. He could ignore him, but James was in town. He knew Aaron was here, and he wouldn't leave him alone until he got the reaction he wanted.

James Madison: [Are you sure they will, Andrea? People get very upset when lied to]

Aaron didn't know. He couldn't read what their reactions would be from the moment he met eyes with any of them. And that scared him. A lot.

Aaron Burr: [Please leave me alone, and call me by the correct name. My name is Aaron, not Andrea.]

With that, he blocked him. He didn't want to deal with that right now, especially not tonight.

So he got comfortable against Lafayette, finding some sort of peace in the way the man's chest slowly moved up and down on his back.

He couldn't seem to find peace within himself, though, as he ended up staying awake until dawn, his mind swimming with thoughts.

How would they actually respond if they found out he was trans? How would they react when he told them? What if James went and outed him?

The question that seemed to bother him most of all was:

Am I really a liar?

The lawyer fell asleep right as the clock struck five, into a deep and restless slumber that left him exhausted when he opened his eyes the next morning.

When he did awake the next morning, he found himself covered up with a blanket on the middle of the couch.

He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes as exhaustion still lingered. He felt ready to pass out at any moment.

"Bonjour."

Aaron dropped his hands and looked up to see Lafayette, looking completely disheveled. His hair, which was usually up in a tight bun, was now reduced to a messy one with curls sticking out everywhere.

"Hello." Aaron mumbled in response, blinking up at him. "Hangover?"

"Ugh, don't even say that cursed word." He flopped down next to him, stealing some of Aaron's blanket to duck his head under.

Aaron felt him rest his cheek on his foot, but shrieked and leapt away. "Mon dieu! Your feet are like popsicles!"

"Popsicles..?" Aaron tilted his head, covering his mouth and trying not to laugh. "Do you mean icicles?"

"Whatever they are called! Your feet are freezing, mon petite!"

Aaron drew his legs to his chest, shrugging.

"Can you stop yelling?" Alex grumbled from the chair he was curled up in. "My head feels like it's going to split open."

Aaron chuckled softly. "To be fair you did like five rounds of shots-"

"Did I ask?" Alex snapped, causing Aaron to go silent and immediately drop his gaze to his lap.

"Come on Alex, you got completely wasted. He's only telling the truth." Aaron heard Hercules's voice but didn't look up.

He felt a dip in the couch and glanced over to see Hercules himself. “Don’t mind Alex, he’s just grumpy.”

Aaron gave a weak smile, nodding slightly and standing up. “Um... I think I’ll head back over to my apartment now, thank you for letting me stay.”

Lafayette frowned. “Are you sure? Hercules is making pancakes.”

Aaron nodded. “I’m sure. I feel I’ve overstayed my visit anyways.”

“That is absurd!” Aaron saw the Frenchman himself wince at how loud he had spoken those words. “You will never overstay your visit here, you are always welcome!”

Aaron felt a small spark of happiness at his words. “Thank you, Gilbert.”

Lafayette grinned, swiftly pressing one kiss to both of his cheeks. “It is no problem.”

Aaron swore his cheeks were on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me if you think anything is wrong?? Also sorry this took so long to get out again


	7. Chapter 7

  
When Aaron arrived at work a few days later, he nearly turned around and walked back out of that damn door.

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were standing right in front of Washington’s office, talking to the big man himself.

Why were they here in the first place? Aaron knew James and Thomas were both lawyers but-

No. He couldn’t be working here. He could t be.

Aaron waited anxiously around the corner, staying out of sight of both the Virginians.

When they finally left, Aaron walked towards Washington quickly. “Mr. Washington?”

The broad-shouldered man turned, smiling at the sight of one of his (favorite) lawyers. “Aaron, we haven’t talked in a bit. How have you been?”

Aaron fiddled with the pile of papers in his arms. “Good, Good..” he trailed off. “James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Are they working here?”

“Why yes. I take it you know them?” Washington asked, a mildly surprised expression on his face.

Aaron’s heart plummeted. This was all going to Hell. James Madison was working at the same law firm as him. With his boyfriend and his transphobia that he just absolutely had to bring along with him.

The lawyer nodded. “I, er- know more of Mr. Madison then I know of Mr. Jefferson.”

“How do you know him?” Washington questioned, tucking his arms behind his back.

“We...” Aaron hesitated. He could trust Washington, but did he really want to spill that information? It might raise some questions about why they broke up in the first place.

If Aaron lied, though, Washington would just become more worried if he found out the truth. Washington was a worry-wart when it came to Aaron, as much as the latter hated to admit it.

The large man cared deeply for him, like the father he never had. Aaron kept up the act that he didn’t like it, even though he actually enjoyed it.

He was grateful to know that at least one person cared about him. But he often pushed those thoughts away, because he didn’t want people to worry about him. He wasn’t worth worrying over. He had never been.

“...were dorm-mates. In college.” Aaron finished after a few moments of hesitation, mentally cursing himself when he saw how unconvinced Washington looked.

“Alright..” he eyed him slightly. “Princeton?”

Aaron relaxed only the slightest, shuffling his feet. “Yes, Sir.”

“Aaron.” He felt a heavy hand being placed on his shoulder, and it felt grounding to him. It made him connect back to earth. It made him realize that James was going to He James, and he needed to deal with him. As much as he hated it.

When he looked up, all of those feelings were shoved back down inside of him.

Washington was looking upon him with concern in his dark brown eyes.

“I’ve told you to call me George... Are you crying?”

Aaron felt a stinging at his eyes. “Hmm? No, I’m not crying.” He offered him a tight smile. “I believe I have some work to do, sir. So I’ll be going!” He clutched his papers close before slipping under his arm and starting to hurriedly rush down the hall.

Washington’s hand slipped off of his shoulder, the grounding feeling it had brought him long down the drain.

Aaron sped walked until he was far, far away from not only Washington’s office but also his own. He needed to get away and do his work somewhere else. Somewhere James wouldn’t be able to pinpoint him.

“Aaron- Aaron!”

The small man blinked, looking up to see Bellamy. “Hmm?”

“I’ve been calling your name for the past two minutes, are you alright?” The blond haired man kept a cheerful expression, but his eyes bore worry.

“Oh yeah, I’m fine.” Aaron offered him a small smile. “Just a little spaced out.”

Jonathan didn’t look convinced, but changed the subject instead of pressing further.

“Okay... Well I-“

“Can I work with you today?” Aaron asked suddenly, feeling anxiety coil in his gut when he interrupted him.

Bellamy’s mouth hung open in mid-sentence. “...sure?”

Aaron gave him a rather forced smile. “Thank you.”

Bellamy gave him a look that Aaron knew all too well. He only got that look when people were worried about him. Worried about him for no damn reason.

“Sorry, we just haven’t worked together for a while,” Aaron said, forcing himself to sound more lively.

Bellamy didn’t look convinced.

Regardless, he allowed Aaron into his office, pulling up another seat to his desk before sitting down next to him and starting to work without another word.

Aaron felt worse, doing his work with an absent mind.

After about an hour, he stood and offered to get them coffee.

Bellamy had just nodded, murmuring a quiet: ‘That would be nice.’

So the man walked out of the office, down a flight of stairs, and into the break room where there was shitty overpriced coffee that you could get in styrofoam cups.

As he was waiting, there was a flurry of footsteps which abruptly stopped once the door to the break room swung open.

He turned and saw not only Alexander Hamilton, but also James Madison, chatting as if they were the best of friends.

Aaron stared for a few moments, before turning away and willing his coffee to hurry up.

“Aaron!”

Too late.

The man turned, forcing a smile on his face. “Hello Alexander, Mr. Madison.” He nodded.

“Aw, come on Ronnie, there’s no need for formalities here!”

Aaron jolted when James wrapped an arm around his shoulder and squeezed him.

“Haha.. yea.” Aaron slowly wormed himself out of his grasp. “Well, I have some coffee to get to a coworker. Have a wonderful day gentleman.”

He made haste and quickly poured the coffee into the cups, before turning and walking out of the break room.

He had barely made it a few feet before he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

Aaron tensed. “Look, James, I don’t need—“

He turned, and instead of James Madison, saw the confounded face of Alexander Hamilton.

“Oh! Sorry, thought you were..” he trailed off, swallowing. “What can I help you with?”

Alex raised an eyebrow, but made no further comment. “Are you Alright?”

“Yes?” Aaron said, raising his eyebrow himself. “Why?”

“You just seem..” The man made wild hand motions. “Tense. Stressed.”

“That’s not new.” He Joked, before shaking his head. “I am fine, Alexander, I can assure you.”

“Mhm..” he squinted at him. “Well on a different note, Laf has asked for you to be invited to our annual Christmas party.”

Well, he didn’t expect that.

Aaron blinked a few times, almost confused by the words. “Excuse me?” His voice came out an octave higher than usual.

Alexander grinned at the sudden change; but didn’t mention it. “Laf wants to invite you to our Christmas party.”

Aaron stared at him as if he had grown another had, before shaking himself out of his trance. “Oh, I would have to see if that agreed with my schedule-“

**_What schedule?_ **

“I can forward it to you,” Alex said, pulling out his phone. “If you’d like to go, of course.”

_**He feels bad for you. He doesn’t want you there.** _

“Of course I want to,” Aaron said, nodding.

Alexander beamed. “Great!” He said. “I’ll send you the info. See ya, Burr!” He gently took his hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. Then he looked up and winked, before standing and walking down the hall.

Wait.

Aaron slapped a hand to his cheek, whipping around and watching as the greasy-haired man scurried away like a mouse.

“Did he just..?”

“From what I saw, yes. And I am going to murder him.”

Aaron’s head snapped up to see Bellamy rolling up his sleeves and starting to head in Alex’s direction.

“Jonathan no-!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so flipping long I had a bit of writers block and finals were literally killing me. Anyways, hope you enjoy!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John buys turtles to save them (this is based off a video I saw and kinda thought of John??)

The moment Aaron arrived home that day, he was met with the sight of John Laurens carrying a large container filled with small turtles.

"Oh hey, Aaron!" John said with a large grin, holding the container close. "What's up?"

"I could ask you the same question." Aaron said, walking a bit closer to the other man. "What's with all the turtles?"

"Oh well-" He grunted as the container slipped slightly, making the water slosh around, along with the small turtles. "Could you actually open the door for me real quick? I don't wanna drop these little guys."

"Oh, Of course!" He moved forward quickly and opened the door, stepping to the side and allowing John to walk inside first.

The freckled man moved jerkily, the water and turtles sloshing around inside. He sighed in relief as he set his box down, rolling his shoulders slightly. "Thanks, dude."

Aaron nodded, shutting the door and walking over, peering inside the container. "Damn, how many are there?"

"Uh... I think maybe one hundred? Roughly?"

"Where did you get all of them?"

"The side of the road." His face immediately twisted into a scowl. "They were being sold in a giant container on the side of the road, which is surprising considering it's really cold outside."

Aaron furrowed his eyebrows. "So you bought all of them?"

"Well, Yea! These little guys would probably live a miserable life if I hadn't." He saw Aaron's confused expression and launched into explanation.

"These Turtles were being sold in small, plastic containers that would not give them the proper necessities to live. The buyers aren't exactly aware of what they're getting into, because most of the time they're impulsively buying them.

I used to work in a pet store, and when I did, mothers with their kids used to come up to me with this small little turtle in a plastic container they bought off the side of the road. They are not aware they need a 40 gallon tank, a basking spot, filtered water, and a UV lamp.

These turtles live a miserable life and then die because of the conditions they're in. So how could I not do anything?"

Aaron stared at John, his mouth slightly ajar. The freckled man's eyes were lighting up with a certain passion whenever he spoke. A passion that showed how much he really cared about these small organisms that had recently been out in the cold, probably wanting to die.

"I.. did not know that.." he said, looking up at the other man.

John nodded. "Most people don't." He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Sorry, I got really deep into stuff like this."

Aaron smiled a bit. "That's fine. It's good to be passionate about things."

John smiled, and Aaron could swear there was a tinge of pink added to his cheeks.

"Well, would you mind helping me with these little guys? I have some extra tanks in the closet, but I would probably need to set it up in the living room until I find a place to give them too."

Aaron nodded, setting his bag down and sliding his jacket off. "Want me to get the tank?"

"Yea," John began pointing down the hall. "There's a closet at the very end, you'll find em in there."

Aaron headed off down the hall, walking just a tad faster than usual. He arrived at the closet and slowly opened it, finding a wide array of tanks amongst the shelves.

Thankfully, they were all labeled with sticky notes, so Aaron was easily able to find the forty-gallon tank and pull it off the shelf.

As he was turning to go back to the kitchen, he noticed the many picture frames that lines the shelves.

He stepped forwards, starting to quickly inspect the photos as he walked back down the hall.

A few were of the four men themselves. They were smiling, or laughing, or just goofing off. In one they were even throwing mud at each other.

There was one that made Aaron stop and stare, though.

It was a picture of John, Alexander, Hercules, and Lafayette at pride.

They were all wearing pride flags on their bodies either like capes or togas. Gilbert and Hercules had pansexual flags, Alexander the bisexual flag, and John the gay flag.

The thing that stood out most was the fact they all had some type of injury on their face.

Lafayette had a black eye, and Hercules a bloody lip. John's eyebrow and cheek were cut, and Alexander was sporting a broken nose. But they were smiling. Wide grins that looked proud.

That picture made Aaron's heart melt, and wonder what they had done to get all those injuries on their beautiful faces.

"Aaron?"

The man shook himself out of his thoughts and headed towards the kitchen again. "Sorry!"

There was a small smile that always crossed his lips every time he thought of that picture.

By the time they had finished, both men had become completely doused in water, but looked satisfied with the tank they had managed to set up together.

“Look at all our hard work!” John said, floppy ringlets framing his face.

Aaron laughed. “All our hard work that left us sopping wet.”

“Yea, well-“

“What the actual fuck.”

Both men whipped around to see Hercules standing there, looking around at the wet footprints, ruined carpet, and turtle tank. Then he looked up at the dripping wet men.

John grinned. “Hey Herc! I got some turtles from off the side of the road and Aaron here helped me set up a tank for them!”

Hercules let out an exasperated sigh. “Of course you did.” He mumbled. “Just.. go to the bathroom. John, we’re gonna talk about why you did this later.”

John nodded profusely, grabbing Aaron’s hand and dragging him to the bathroom.

Hercules appeared a few minutes later, holding a change of clothes for both of them. “I got you some of Alexander’s clothes. Since you seen the closest to his size..”

Aaron nodded, giving him a kind smile. “Thank you Hercules.”

He just nodded, his face softening as he smiled back.

John took his own clothes, grinning as he started to strip down right in front of Aaron. The other man gulped, turning away. “ I’ll change in the shower..”

Before John could say anything, he darted into the shower and pulled the curtain across so he couldn’t see him.

Aaron had only just pulled his shirt off when he heard the door slam shut and a loud shriek pierce through the air.

That was then followed by a voice that carried a heavy French accent shrilly saying:

“Mon dieu, the carpet! Hercules! I demand to know what happened!”

“John brought home some turtles and had a bit of a wild ride setting them up.”

Moments later, the bathroom door slammed open. Aaron peeked around the curtain to see a rather angry Lafayette.

Aaron could almost compare him to an angry bull. The thought of that made him laugh. Almost.

“John. Laurens. Explain to me why our carpet is ruined and there are a bunch of small creatures in our living room?!”

“Turtles, Gil. Red-eared sliders.”

“I do not care what color their ears are! I care about why you did it!”

Aaron stepped out of the shower timidly, holding his damp clothes to his chest. “Hello.” He said quietly.

Lafayette immediately looked over at him, his eyes traveling from the wet pile of clothes, to the slightly oversized clothes, and finally up to his face.

“Did you get dragged into this?”

Aaron fidgeted under the Frenchman’s dark and probing gaze. “Uh, well, I kinda wanted to help..?”

Lafayette sighed heavily, taking both of their hands and leading them to a bedroom. “Stay on here. Do not come out until we are finished cleaning.”

“Aw Laf, come on!” John whined.

Lafayette just gave John a pointed look, to which John blinked in surprise, and then grinned. “Fine.”

Then he turned and dragged Aaron onto the bed, tossing the remote to the latter.

“Pick something!” He said, grinning as he laid back.

Aaron stared at the remote with an almost confused expression, before looking back at John. “No, no, you pick. It’s your house, after all.”

“Yes, But you’re our guest! So I insist.”

They ended up watching Supernatural.

Throughout the first episode of the show, John began to scoot a little closer to Aaron, claiming he was cold.

Aaron paid no mind to this, until they were shoulder to shoulder. The lawyer peeked at him from out of the corner of his eye, and moved a tad closer to him. Then he gently leaned his head on his shoulder.

John was practically beaming.

Moments later, they were joined by Hercules and Lafayette. And after that, Alexander with Thai food.

It was a good night, filled with much laughter and talking.

It was also the night Aaron came to the conclusion that he wanted to spend more time with these men. More time then just seeing Alexander in the hallway, and walking with him to work.

More time than just briefly waving to John in the hallway.

More time than swing Lafayette or Hercules at the grocery store.

Aaron wanted to be a close friend who they could go to if they ever needed anything. And he hoped they felt the same.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but does that ever happen to anyone? Where to kinda crave to have a relationship with a certain person? And like it doesn’t even have to be a romantic one, you just wanna be friends idk I’m rambling now


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so very sorry for the lack of updates! I’ve seen all of the comments you guys have been leaving and it means so much to me. I’m once more so very sorry, my life has been a whirlwind for the last months, and my motivation had kinda gone down the drain, but I promise you that my updating cycle will he much more consistent now that I’ve gotten back onto my feet.

Aaron checked himself in the mirror the millionth time, frowning at himself. Did he look good? Was this button up too much? What about the shoes? Were the shoes okay?

He could feel his cats silently judging him from where they were perched on the couch.

A groan tore itself from Aaron's throat. He was literally going next door for a Christmas party, his clothes barely mattered.

"Oh yeah, why don't I go naked? That would be great. Hello! I'm Aaron burr. Oh, and just ignore the fact that I'm butt naked in front of literally everyone."

Aaron stared at himself in the mirror for a few moments before resting his head in his hands. "Get yourself together." He muttered.

The man looked down at his watch. It was time to go.

He checked himself in his mirror one last time before turning and striding towards the door.

He had barely stepped out of the door before he heard loud bouts of laughter and taking coming from next door.

Aaron easily walked a few feet to his next-door neighbors apartment and rapped his knuckles three time on the oak wood.

The door was almost immediately flung open, and there stood Lafayette, in all of his glory.

"Mon ami! Come in, come in!”

His arm was grabbed and he was dragged inside, a small noise forcing its way past his lips. Of course, Hercules, Alexander, and John were there. Peggy was also there, talking to a dark skinned woman with long brown hair. The plump being beamed and waved him over.

“Aaron!” They walked over and grabbed his wrist. Aaron felt like he was a doll in those moments. Being manhandled by one person and then another. “I want you to meet Dolley Paine. She’s a good friend of mine.”

Dolley looked familiar, yet Aaron couldn’t quite place his finger upon where he might have seen her before.

He talked to her amiably for a few moments, before Peggy joined in and he could tell that they were smitten. He smiled and stepped back, excusing himself from the conversation to give the two a bit of privacy.

He gazed around and spotted Alexander talking to a tall, curly haired woman. He hesitated for a few moments before he started over, tucked his hands into his pockets. 

“Hello, Alexander.” Spoke Burr, swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat. The woman turned and fixed him with a rather pointed look, her eyes scanning up and down his body. Analyzing every small thing.

She was rather intimidating.

“Aaron! Glad you could make it, this is Angelica.” He beckoned towards the scary woman, settling a hand upon her shoulder. Aaron made sure to keep a straight and Neutral expression, offering only a small smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He said, offering a hand. Angelica gazed at it with a quirked brow, and then took it, shaking slowly. “The pleasures all mine.” Her voice lacked any warmth.

He talked briefly with them, before he was being tugged away by Lafayette, and then Hercules, and even John, who proudly showed off the turtles and explained he’d be driving them up to a small sanctuary.

It was a nice party, filled with champagne and happy chatter.

Of course, happy things never seemed to last for Aaron, as he looked over and out of everyone, spotted James and his new boyfriend.

He stared at them briefly, before turning his head away sharply. He didn’t care. It was just James. He did not matter. He had no control over him. He—

“Ah, I was hoping to see you here.”

Aaron’s shoulders tensed. He turned and gave James an almost bored look, trying to play it off as though he was not bothered by his overall presence. 

“James,” He said softly. “I didn’t think you would be invited. Considering the... tension between Thomas and Alexander.” His eyes drifted over to the curly haired man, who was already eyeing Alexander with disgust.

James laughed and moved closer, causing Burr to shift away rather subtly. “Oh, well, Alexander and I are on good terms. He can put aside a bit of rivalry for a party, I assume?”

Aaron quirked a brow. “Are you genuinely asking me?” He adjusted the champagne glass in his hand, taking a small sip. “If you wish to know, you can ask one of his boyfriends.” 

“You seem to have joined their little group,” James pauses, and then leaned forwards, his eyes reflecting something odd and dark. “Andrea.” 

“That is not my name, do not call me by that!” Aaron snapped, his voice raising. It turned a few heads, making him mentally curse.

James leaned back, obviously satisfied by the reaction. “Of course,” He purred. “My apologies.” He turned and walked away, easily engaging in conversation with Alexander, who seemed to be talking with a rather stunning woman in blue.

The night seemed to turn sour for Aaron. He tried to focus upon the other people there, the decorations, the food even. It all seemed to be in vain as he couldn’t erase James’ malicious eyes from his mind.

It eventually came to the point where Aaron had to escape. He had let this small thug ruin his whole night, it was his own fault he wasn’t having fun.

Though, the only host of the party he managed to catch was Hercules. The board shouldered man was nursing a cup of What seemed to be whiskey.

“I think I might head back to my apartment,” Aaron explained to him upon catching his attention. “I’m not feeling the best.”

“Oh! Well, you should head back and get rest then. But I have a gift for you, before you do go.” He motioned for Aaron to stay put before he disappeared down the hallway, emerging moments later with a box, cleanly wrapped and donned with a bright red bow.

“Lafayette wrapped it,” Hercules explained, handing it over. “But it’s got a little something from all of us! I hope you like it.”

Aaron smiled, holding the box close to his chest. He felt a bit guilty, as gifts had completely slipped his mind in the haze of work. But he’d make sure to pick something out for each of them.

“Thank you.” He murmured. “Thank you very much. This is really kind of you.”

Hercules waved his hand dismissively, before settling the same hand upon Aaron’s back, guiding him towards the front door. “It’s nothing, really. Just something nice we wanted to get for you. Alexander is still sorry for hitting you in the nose with that book.”

“Still?” Aaron couldn’t help but laugh, turning to gaze up at Hercules when they reached the door. “That was weeks ago!”

Hercules simply chuckled, before his eyes drifted upwards. “Oh.”

Aaron gazed up as well, his brows raising when he saw the mistletoe hanging there.

“Ah, well, I suppose—“ Hercules trailed off in surprise when Aaron suddenly leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. 

“Have a good night, Hercules.” He smiled and moved out the door, closing it behind him. He pressed his fingers to his lips and stared down at the floor.

How bold of him.

He took a deep breath and moved his head up high. No going back now, he supposed.

**Author's Note:**

> Heya! This is my first work, and I really hope you like it. This is one of my favorite ships and I don’t really see a lot of fics about it so I thought, why don’t I change that? Hope you enjoyed!


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